1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel lighting device for a vehicle and a novel optical axis regulating device of the lighting device for a vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a technique capable of independently carrying out a change in a vertical direction and a change in a transverse direction of an irradiating direction and reducing cost and size.
2. Related Art
Some lighting devices for a vehicle, for example, some headlamps for a car can change an irradiating direction into vertically and transversely optional directions.
In a lighting device for a vehicle described in Patent Document 1, a lamp unit is supported on a bracket, and the bracket is tilted transversely and vertically, More specifically, a transverse tilting actuator is driven to transversely tilt the bracket, and, furthermore, a vertical driving actuator is driven to vertically tilt the bracket.
In a lighting device for a vehicle described in Patent Document 2, a rotation in a transverse direction and a rotation in a vertical direction are carried out by one actuator.
Also, in a lighting device for a vehicle described in Patent Document 3, a rotation in a transverse direction and a rotation in a vertical direction are carried out by one actuator.    [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2005-119463 Publication    [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2005-186731 Publication    [Patent Document 3] JP-A-2003-054310 Publication
In the lighting device for a vehicle described in the Patent Document 1, however, a transverse tilting actuator for transversely tilting a bracket and a vertical tilting actuator for vertically tilting the bracket are provided separately, and the number of components and required man-hours for assembly are large and a large number of harnesses for supplying power to each actuator and controlling the actuator are required. Consequently, cost is increased. Referring to left and right lighting devices, moreover, the actuator cannot be common. Also, in this respect, cost is increased.
In the lighting device for a vehicle described in the Patent Document 2, a coupling point to the bracket for a transverse tilt of the actuator is separated from a coupling point to the bracket for a vertical tilt, and mutual positional relationships are fixed. For this reason, there is no versatility and a bracket designed for the actuator is required. In addition, special actuators for left and right lighting devices are required respectively.
In the lighting device for a vehicle described in the Patent Document 3, one output portion is provided for the actuator and a common actuator to left and right lighting devices can be used. However, a tilt in the transverse direction and that in the vertical direction cannot be carried out independently at the same time.